A framework to design game theory-based interventions for strategic analysis of real-world problems with stakeholders

Game theory provides a valuable conceptual framework for developing strategic insight into complex, multi-actor situations and is well-suited for addressing real-world problems. Participatory game theory involves model construction and analysis with stakeholders guided by a facilitator with the aim of examining strategic interactions within real-world problems. Previous work in this field focused often on the analytical insights from game theory models whereas guidance on the design and implementation process of participatory game theory interventions remains under researched. This paper addresses this gap by providing a framework to assist in the design of game theory-based interventions. Here, stakeholders’ decision-support needs are designed according to specific learning levels, as defined by Bloom's taxonomy and triple-loop learning, that the intervention will target. The framework further specifies the design choices for each learning level by comparing the design choices from two case studies of game theory-based interventions in Dutch railway and Bangladesh drinking water contexts. The former involved stakeholders using a game concept identification tool while the latter used game theory-based role-playing games with community and local government stakeholders. This paper describes the value of this framework for structured learning through game theory-based interventions. It includes the facilitator's role and design choices for each learning level related to the knowledge capabilities and activity focus to achieve that learning outcome. Future work will incorporate design inputs from additional learning theories, behavioural game theory and will explore the framework's potential for evaluating game theory-based interventions.